She Doesn't Need Me Anymore
by flashpenguin
Summary: Dave has to say goodbye to his little girl. As he reflects on the moments when she needed him most, he learns how to say hello to the woman she has become. Daddy Dave/OC with a brief mention of Em.


_Talking with my little girl the other night, she mentioned how the baby hates rain. Well, I mentioned that it would make a great story. And guess who ran with the idea? Yep! So, I tried to see saying good-bye from my little girl's point of view and this is what I came up with. It's a Daddy Dave and a little sappy, but the preliminary reviews gave it a thumbs up, so I'm posting. And yes, it has Dave singing - I can't help it; JM does have a great voice!_

_I don't own Criminal Minds, but I do own Claire!_

_Song prompt: (Dave) "She Doesn't Need Me Anymore" by Peter Cetera  
>Song prompt: (Claire) "Paper Doll" by The Mills Brothers and Dean Martin (yes, I had to have a JM connection! So sue me!)<em>

**She Doesn't Need Me Anymore**

David Rossi hated very few things in life. He had accomplished everything he had set out to and even achieved in areas he had never imagined, so his list of things that upset him was short. If he broke it down, killers and murderers and abusers would be at the top of his list. Liars, thieves, and deviants would be right behind. But that was obvious. That list wasn't much different from any other FBI agent.

But there was one thing he hated - the one thing he had never told anyone - he hated good-bye. Maybe because it was so…final. At least with "The End", there was the promise of a new beginning; a new hope; a new story. But with good-bye, there was nothing. It was over. Done. Complete.

He should have known it was going to come down to this one day - when he was going to have to say good-bye. From the moment he laid eyes on her, he knew that she was going to break his heart. Even when every fibre in his body was screaming to turn and run like hell, he had been drawn in by her dark brown eyes and killer smile…just like her mother's. And because of the love he had for Emily, he had stayed.

He tried to distance himself - even when she had wrapped him around her baby finger and got him so twisted inside he couldn't tell up from down, he had loved it. He loved her and the way she said "Daddy". It was almost like it had always been his name.

Twirling the rose stem between his fingers, he gazed at the delicate petals. Just like her. His baby girl. His heart. His Claire.

Maybe he had held on too tight and smothered her with too much love and attention. He hadn't meant to do anything to push her away, but he had never known love like what he shared with her. Still…. What had he done to make her not need him anymore?

Sniffing the flower, he closed his eyes and remembered when she _had_ needed him…

_The rain was falling down in sheets and the baby wouldn't stop crying. Restlessly, he had paced the floor for hours trying to bring what comfort he could but nothing seemed to work. It seemed the more he tried to soothe Claire, the more she cried. He was at a loss; he didn't know what to do. He wanted to go on line and make sure that nothing was wrong, but he didn't dare put her down. It seemed to only make matters worse._

"_Dammit, Em, why did you have to leave?" he bit out shortly as his hand patted Claire's back. In response to his remark, Claire's cries intensified. "I'm sorry, mi piccola. It's going to be okay."_

_More pacing. More pats. More soothing words that didn't help. "Dammit Em, why don't you call?" he muttered to himself. Claire's cries filled his ears and was making him half insane. "Think, Dave. Think!"_

"_**I'm going to buy a paper doll  
>That I can call my own.<br>The kind the other fellows cannot steal…"**_

_Dave's voice shook slightly as he tried to find the right key. As the words began to flow, his voice steadied. _

"_**Then the flirty, flirty guys  
>With their flirty, flirty eyes<br>Will have to flirt with dollies that are real."**_

_The cries dwindled to sobs that slowly became hiccups. Dave paused for a moment. He held his breath. It was working._

"_**When I come home at night, she'll be waiting;**_

_**She'll be the truest doll in all the world."**_

_Claire snuggled into the crook of Dave's neck and let out a long sigh. Dave subconsciously stroked her back as his voice dropped in volume._

"_**I'd rather have a paper doll to call my own,  
>Than to have a fickle minded, real live girl."<strong>_

_Outside, the storm continued, but inside all was calm…_

Then came the day when she started pulling away. It had been so subtle that looking back now, he wondered why he hadn't kicked himself for missing the sign. Dave brought the rose to his nose and sniffed. There was no way she had ever been so small he could hold her in the palm of his hand. But she had been. Where had the years gone?

_Dave put the car in park and turned to his daughter in the back seat. "Let me walk you inside."_

"_No, Daddy, I can do this," Claire replied as she reached for her book bag._

_Fear coursed thru Dave. His profiler instincts went on high alert. He looked at the school building off to his right. "Are you sure?"_

"_Yes, Daddy." Claire opened the door. _

"_How about to the door?" Dave's eyes scanned the area for anyone suspicious or out of place._

_Claire sighed. "Daddy…"_

"_Last year, you wanted me to walk you to your class," Dave reminded gently._

"_That was last year when I was a baby, but I'm older now." Claire slipped the strap on to her shoulder. She leaned forward and kissed Dave's cheek. "You don't have to cry, Daddy; I'll be okay." Quickly, she exited the vehicle. "I love you, Daddy."_

"_I love you, too, Princess. Have a good day," Dave replied._

_Claire closed the door. "Bye." She gave a wave. Before Dave could speak, a couple of little girls ran up and began chatting with Claire. Together, they walked down the path. He watched until they entered the large building. _

_Putting the car in drive, he touched the gas. As he pulled away, it hit him that his baby was growing up. Slowly, a crack went across his heart._

_A tear ran down his cheek…_

He would have chalked it up to the moment and not given it another thought if that damn bicycle hadn't entered the picture. What had he been thinking that day when he decided to teach her how to ride?

"_Daddy, I don't think I can do this," Claire's voice warbled along with the bicycle she was sitting on._

"_Yes, you can," Dave assured. His right hand held the steering bars while his left held the seat._

_Claire's brown eyes widened. "No, Daddy. I changed my mind. I want to go inside," she pleaded._

"_But you promised."_

"_I can't."_

"_Honey, you have the bike and you're sitting on it. You have to ride it."_

"_What if I fall down?" Fear was in the little girl's eyes._

"_I will catch you." Dave crossed his heart. "I promise. Now pedal."_

"_Don't let go!" Claire cried out._

"_Never." Dave trotted beside the bike. "Ready?"_

"_No!"_

"_Too late, you're riding." His face shone with pride and love._

_Claire looked down. "I am riding! Daddy! Look! I'm riding. I'm a big girl!" she shouted proudly._

_Dave watched as the bike shook and then smoothed out. _

"_Yes, you are," he whispered as Claire continued down the road. The smile never left his face, but his heart was cracking._

"You should have known that was her first step in learning how to live without you," Dave told himself. "You couldn't hold on to her forever."

But did letting go have to hurt so damn much?

"_Daddy, can you do me a favour?" Claire asked seriously._

_Dave lowered the newspaper and looked at his daughter standing before him, her hands firmly on her hips. Just like her mother. "Anything."_

"_Tyler is coming over to pick me up to take me to dinner."_

_Dave's eyebrow rose. "Tyler?"_

_Claire sighed dramatically. "You know Tyler; you and his dad played golf a couple of years ago." Dave gave her a blank look. "The orthopedist…" Claire prompted._

"_Oh him. And his son is taking you out?" Dave asked._

"_Yes."_

"_Where?"_

"_To dinner."_

"_Where?" Dave repeated._

"_I don't know; we haven't decided."_

_Dave stood up and placed the newspaper on the chair. "A young man is taking my princess out and you don't know where you're going?"_

"_We were going to decided when he got here."_

"_I'm sure if I ask him, he'll tell me."_

_Claire's eyes flashed. "Oh no you won't! You are not going to profile my date! If you do, I'll tell Mom!"_

"_I'm sure she already has profiled him. Besides. I want to see if he's good enough for you."_

"_Dad! He's good enough. I promise. Please don't ruin this for me," Claire pleaded. She went to speak again, but was interrupted by the door bell._

_Dave stood alone in the study. In the distance he heard voices. Within seconds, Claire came in with a young man walking beside her._

"_Tyler, this is my dad, David Rossi," Claire introduced._

"_Nice to meet you, sir. I've read all your books."_

_Dave watched the look that transpired between his little girl and the man who was about to replace him._

"_You'd better take care of her," Dave growled._

_Tyler's arm tightened around Claire's waist. "I'll guard her with my life."_

_And then Dave's heart completely broke in two. _

Lost in memories, Dave didn't hear the door open.

"Daddy? Are you out here?" Claire asked. Stepping out on the porch, she took in the man sitting on the step holding a rose. Her favourite flower. Gently, she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Daddy?"

Dave looked up. "Hi Claire."

"What are you doing out here?" she asked.

"Thinking."

"About?"

"Things. You wouldn't understand."

Claire took the rose from her father's fingers. "Try me."

"I was remembering when you were a little girl…when you were a baby and you wouldn't stop crying. I sang you a song."

"Really? Which one?"

"Paper Doll by the Mills Brothers. You loved that song."

"I think I remember you singing it to me when I was sick with the flu."

"It always calmed you down."

Claire looked at the rose. "I never thanked you for all you did for me. You were always there when I needed you."

"Except now."

"Daddy…" Claire started. "You can do this. It's no different than when you took down UNSUBs."

Dave's eyebrow rose. "UNSUBs? I never was in the position with an UNSUB like I am right now. I never had to hand my daughter over to an UNSUB."

Claire chuckled. "Well, Tyler is not an UNSUB, so I think it should make things easier. Besides, I already have the dress and the guests have arrived. It's too late to turn back now." Pinning the rose into the button hole of Dave's tux, she brushed away the stray lint and then stood back. "You look very handsome," she remarked. Her eyes filled with tears.

Dave took in his little girl…or rather the young lady in the flowing white gown. "And you look like your mother," he choked.

The organ music filtered out to where they stood on the porch.

"It's almost time to give me away, Daddy."

"Come here." Dave held open his arms. Willingly, Claire went into the arms of the man whose embrace had warded off nightmares and protected her from everything. She never wanted him to let her go.

Dave held his daughter close. Even grown up, she fit in his arms. He never wanted to let her go. But he had to.

"I'm afraid that you aren't going to need me anymore," Dave whispered.

Claire pulled back to look at him. Her eyes were soft with love. "I'm always going to need my daddy."

Kissing her cheek, Dave took her hand. "Is it too late to profile Tyler?"

Claire laughed. "I think so."

Arm in arm, Dave and Claire walked into the church. Looking at the crowd in the flower and ribbon adorned sanctuary and the guests in the pews, Dave felt his pulse race. Then he saw the young man in the tux waiting at the altar for his little girl.

"I love you, Princess," Dave whispered. He felt Claire's arm link with his. He looked down at the beautiful young woman who had blessed his life but was breaking his heart.

Claire's eyes met his. "I love you, too, Daddy. I always will."

And at that moment, Dave's heart completely mended…for good.

_**Dedicated to Addyson Leia. You are my little princess…and not just because of your name. I will love you and your momma forever.**_


End file.
